1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an in-vivo image acquiring apparatus which is introduced inside a subject to acquire image information of an inside of the subject, and an in-vivo image acquiring system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a swallowable capsule endoscope has been proposed in a field of endoscope. The capsule endoscope contains an imaging unit which acquires image information of an inside of a subject, an illumination unit which illuminates a portion captured by the imaging unit, a transmission unit which wirelessly transmits the image information captured by the imaging unit, and the like inside a capsule-shaped casing. The capsule endoscope is swallowed from a mouth of the subject, i.e., a patient, and introduced inside the subject. The capsule endoscope sequentially captures images inside a body cavity moving inside the body cavity with peristalsis, and wirelessly transmits the acquired image information to an outside of the body until naturally excreted.
Sometimes, an operation mode of the capsule endoscope which is introduced inside the subject needs to be changed. For example, a frame rate of the imaging may need to be changed, or a compression rate in transmission may need to be changed, depending on the imaged portion. As a technology developed to solve such problems, there is a known technology with which a position of the capsule endoscope is detected so as to change the frame rate when the capsule endoscope is at a portion such as an esophagus where the capsule endoscope passes in a short time, or when the capsule endoscope moves close around a legion or the like (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-70728). Further, in another known technology, an in-vivo state is detected by a state detector which detects an in-vivo state to change the mode (see Japanese translation of PCT international application No. 2006-509574). Further, in still another known technology, an operation-mode-change request switch is arranged, and the mode is changed by switching the switch to thereby change the frame rate and the like (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-21039). In still another known technology, a receiving device which receives an operation-command signal from an outside is attached to the capsule endoscope, and a measuring operation is performed according to the operation command signal received by the receiving device (see Japanese Patent No. 2933164).